A war relic, both young and old

      A visit to the restored Quang Tri Citadel, built by an emperor in 1809 and destroyed by war in 1972, provides a glimpse of both modern and 19th century Vietnamese history.
Located in the central province of Quang Tri’s capital of the same name, the citadel was originally built as an administrative capital under King Gia Long in 1809.
It was later rebuilt out of brick under King Minh Mang in 1827.
It served as a stronghold of the Nguyen dynasty until 1945.
In the old days, the citadel wall was square and nearly 2,000 meters around.
It was 9.4 meters high and 12 meters thick with four main towers.
The royal palace, where the king and mandarins held ceremonies, was located in the citadel.
In a summer battle in 1972, most of the citadel was destroyed.
Only the eastern gate, trenches and bomb craters remained.
In the 1990s, the Quang Tri Citadel was rebuilt and classified by the government as a historical landmark.
In its center, a collective grave and a monument were erected to mark the 81 days and nights of the 1972 battle.
At provincial ceremonies, a seven-ton bell now rings in a new bell tower to remember the soldiers who died in the fight.